Ditch the Crunches: 11 Standing Core Exercises for a Stronger You

Are you tired of endless crunches and floor-based ab workouts? It’s time to rise and shine with standing core exercises! Not only do these exercises strengthen your core, but they also improve your posture, balance, and functional strength. Standing core exercises engage your muscles more closely to how they operate every day: supporting your spine, stabilizing your posture, and transferring power through your whole body.

Here are 11 standing core exercises recommended by fitness experts to help you build a stronger, more functional core.

Why Standing Core Exercises? The Benefits You Need to Know

Before diving into the exercises, let’s explore why standing core work is gaining popularity:

• Functional Strength: Standing core exercises mimic real-life movements like twisting, reaching, and lifting, making your core stronger for everyday activities and sports.
• Improved Posture and Balance: These exercises engage postural muscles, helping you maintain proper alignment and balance throughout the day.
• Full Body Engagement: Standing core exercises aren’t just about abs; they’re dynamic movements that engage muscles throughout your entire body.
• Reduced Strain: Standing exercises reduce strain on your back and neck, making them ideal for people with lower back pain or joint issues.
• Accessibility: Standing core workouts take wrist pressure out of the equation and are also good for those who tend to have tenderness in their tailbones, or shoulder or neck pain.
• Train Proprioception: Proprioception is your awareness of your body in space. By standing instead of sitting or kneeling, each exercise will also challenge your balance, coordination, and stability.
• Great for Small Spaces: Standing core workouts can be done in tight spaces or in areas where you’d really rather not lie down, such as the grimy airport corner by your gate or a cold tile floor of a hotel room.

11 Standing Core Exercises to Unleash Your Inner Strength

Here are 11 standing core exercises to incorporate into your fitness routine:

1. Standing Cross-Body Crunch

• Why it works: The cross-body crunch hits your entire core—the upper, lower, and oblique muscles. The move also requires balance and coordination.
• How to do it:
  1. Stand tall with your fingertips behind your ears, elbows out wide, and core engaged.
  2. With foot flexed, draw your right knee up as you rotate from the torso, left elbow meeting right knee.
  3. Return to standing.
  4. Repeat on the opposite side.
  5. Continue alternating.
  6. Do 20 reps on each side.

2. Standing Side Crunch

• Why it works: In addition to targeting the obliques, you can also elevate your heart rate the faster you go. This move does not hit all abdominal muscles, but it fires up the exterior ab muscles, which are key for stabilization.
• How to do it:
  1. Stand tall with fingertips behind ears, elbows out wide, and core engaged.
  2. With foot flexed, draw your right knee up and out as you crunch right elbow to right knee.
  3. Return to standing.
  4. Repeat.
  5. Do 20 reps then repeat on the opposite side.

3. Standing Wood Chop

• Why it works: This classic standing move works your entire trunk, with a focus on the obliques and transversus abdominis.
• How to do it:
  1. Hold one weight in both hands (or use body weight).
  2. Extend your arms up overhead to one side, then squat down slightly while rotating your torso to the opposite side as your arms follow, extending down toward your toes.
  3. Stand up, using your obliques to lift your torso up and over, extending your arms back up towards the starting position.

4. Reverse Dumbbell Chop

• Why it works: Primarily targeting your abdominals and obliques, the chop also works your lats, glutes, and shoulders.
• How to do it:
  1. With a dumbbell in each hand, stand with your feet hip-width apart.
  2. Squat down slightly and turn your torso to the left. Your hands should be on the outside of your left thigh.
  3. Keeping your arms extended, stand up, bringing the dumbbell up and across your body and slowly swinging the weight diagonally across your torso. It should be above your right shoulder as you straighten your legs.
  4. Reverse the movement to return to start.
  5. Repeat 10 times and then switch sides.

5. Standing Core Stabilization

• Why it works: Engage your rectus abdominus, transverse abdominus, and obliques with this exercise while also using your stabilizer muscles.
• How to do it:
  1. Stand with your feet hip-width apart.
  2. Hold a medicine ball (or dumbbell) with both hands with your arms extended out in front of your chest.
  3. Keep your arms straight and turn your upper body to the right.
  4. Return back to the center.
  5. Do 10 reps to the right and 10 to the left.

6. Standing Bicycle Crunches

• Why it works: The standing bicycle crunch targets the obliques, rectus abdominis, and hip flexors, promoting improved balance and core strength.
• How to do it:
  1. Stand tall with your feet hip-width apart, hands behind your head.
  2. Lift your left knee while twisting your torso to bring your right elbow toward the left knee.
  3. Return to the starting position, and repeat the motion on the opposite side.
  4. Continue alternating sides for the duration of the exercise.

7. Standing Side Bend

• Why it works: Standing side bends are an excellent exercise for strengthening and toning the oblique muscles along the side of your abdomen. They also engage the muscles of your lower back and hip flexors.
• How to do it:
  1. Stand up straight with your feet shoulder-width apart.
  2. Extend your arms upward, and clasp your hands together above your head.
  3. Keeping your arms straight, lean your torso to one side, bending only at the waist.
  4. Return to the center, and then bend to the opposite side.
  5. Repeat for the target time.

8. Standing Leg Lifts

• Why it works: Standing leg lifts work the lower abs and help improve hip mobility.
• How to do it:
  1. Stand tall with your feet hip-width apart, hands on your hips or holding onto a wall for support.
  2. Lift your right leg straight in front of you, engaging your core to maintain balance.
  3. Lower your leg back to the starting position and repeat on the other side.
  4. Perform 3 sets of 10-15 repetitions on each side.

9. Standing Mountain Climbers

• Why it works: This full-body exercise strengthens the core while also targeting the shoulders, back, and legs.
• How to do it:
  1. Stand with your feet hip-width apart and your arms raised above your head.
  2. Drive your right knee towards your chest while pulling your arms down, then return to the starting position.
  3. Repeat with your left knee.
  4. Alternate sides for 30-60 seconds, performing 3 sets.

10. Standing Windmills

• Why it works: Standing windmills improve core stability and target the obliques.
• How to do it:
  1. Stand with your feet wider than shoulder-width apart, arms extended out to the sides.
  2. Keep your left leg straight as you bend to the right, reaching your left hand towards your right foot.
  3. Return to the starting position and repeat on the other side.
  4. Perform 3 sets of 10-12 repetitions on each side.

11. Overhead Reach Knee Tuck

• Why it works: This move challenges your balance and coordination while engaging your core.
• How to do it:
  1. Stand with feet hip-width apart.
  2. Reach both arms up overhead, shoulder-width apart, so your elbows are by your ears.
  3. Keeping arms extended, shift weight onto your left foot and lift your right knee off the floor toward your chest as high as you can without letting your back round.
  4. Release the right leg to the floor and switch to the left leg.
  5. Continue alternating marches for 60 seconds.
  6. Take a 20-second break and repeat for another minute.

Integrating Standing Core Exercises Into Your Routine

• Warm-up: Incorporate standing core exercises into your warm-up routine to get your muscles activated and ready for more intense exercises.
• Full-body workout: On days when you’re short on time or equipment, standing core exercises can serve as an abbreviated full-body workout.
• Frequency: Aim to include standing core exercises in your schedule one to two times a week.
• Listen to your body: Pay attention to your body’s signals and modify exercises as needed.

The Takeaway

Standing core exercises offer a refreshing and effective alternative to traditional floor-based ab workouts. By incorporating these 11 exercises into your fitness routine, you’ll not only strengthen your core but also improve your posture, balance, and overall functional fitness. So, stand tall, engage your core, and get ready to experience the benefits of standing core exercises!